Nun Reveals Truth About LCWR Assessment

Sister Mary Rose Reddy “We Do Not Feel at All Represented by the LCWR”

What did the Holy See actually say to the LCWR?

by Sister Mary Rose Reddy DMML: Recently the Office of the Congregation of the Doctrine of Faith issued a statement entitled, Doctrinal Assessment of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious. (All quotations are taken directly from this 8 page document). Many people in the United States have mistakenly regarded this document as disparaging to women religious. Actually the contrary is true; the document praises the legitimate contributions of women religious over the years: “The Holy See acknowledges with gratitude the great contribution of women Religious to the Church in the United States as seen particularly in the many schools, hospitals, and institutions of support for the poor which have been founded and staffed by Religious over the years.”

At the same time as the Holy See praises these legitimate accomplishments it rightfully criticizes destructive aberrations in authentic religious life that have developed in and through the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR). (The LCWR was founded at the encouragement of the Vatican in 1956 to be the official representative body of women religious in the United States). Here are some of the LCWR errors which this document from the Vatican addresses:

1. There has been “a diminution of the fundamental Christological center and focus of religious consecration which leads, in turn, to a loss of a ‘constant and lively sense of the Church’ among some Religious.”

2. Speakers have been allowed to promote destructive teachings such as “Sr. Laurie Brink’s address about some Religious ‘moving beyond the Church’ or even beyond Jesus. This is a challenge not only to core Catholic beliefs; such a rejection of faith is also a serious source of scandal and is incompatible with religious life.”

3. Some members of the LCWR have been “protesting the Holy See’s actions regarding the question of women’s ordination and of a correct pastoral approach to ministry to homosexual persons, e.g. letters about New Ways Ministry’s conferences. The terms of the letters suggest that these sisters collectively take a position not in agreement with the Church’s teaching on human sexuality.”

4. “Moreover, some commentaries on ‘patriarchy’ distort the way in which Jesus has structured sacramental life in the Church; others even undermine the revealed doctrines of the Holy Trinity, the divinity of Christ, and the inspiration of Sacred Scripture.”

5. “…while there has been a great deal of work on the part of LCWR promoting issues of social justice in harmony with the Church’s social doctrine, it is silent on the right to life from conception to natural death, a question that is part of the lively public debate about abortion and euthanasia in the United States. Further, issues of crucial importance to the life of Church and society, such as the Church’s Biblical view of family life and human sexuality, are not part of the LCWR agenda in a way that promotes Church teaching.”

6. “Moreover, occasional public statements by the LCWR that disagree with or challenge positions taken by the Bishops, who are the Church’s authentic teachers of faith and morals, are not compatible with its purpose.”

Having been a professed religious Sister for more than 29 years I welcome this statement of the Holy See. We, the Daughters of Mary, Mother of Healing Love (along with hundreds and probably thousands of other women religious), do not feel at all represented by the LCWR. We consider that the vocation of women religious is to personify the Church as Bride. The Bride is submissive to Christ, the Head (as particularly represented by the Pope and the magisterium). Through this powerful charism of submissive obedience, entrusted particularly to women religious in imitation of the exalted Mother of God, the life of Christ is brought to birth and nurtured in multitudes of hearts. Thank you, Pope Benedict XVI and the Holy See for protecting the authentic charism of women religious which we receive as an eternal gift from Christ the Bridegroom.

Sister Mary Rose Reddy

Sister Mary Rose Reddy – The Daughters of Mary, Mother of Healing Love: Sister Mary Rose, DMML, is a founding sister of the Running Nuns, a religious order dedicated to housing children victimized by trauma, abuse and neglect. They are called the Running Nuns because they have a daily running program to relieve anger and stress of the victimized children and have a nationally known annual 5k race. Sister wrote this article because she “feels so strongly that we need to speak out for the many Sisters who love and support our Holy Father and the magisterium.”

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56 comments to Nun Reveals Truth About LCWR Assessment

[…] Nun Reveals Truth About LCWR Assessment | Courageous PriestJul 11, 2012 … O Divine and Great High Priest, may the power of Your mercy accompany them everywhere and protect them from the devil’s traps and snares, … […]

what joy it was for me read what sister had to say over the years i have found it quite disturbing that so many nuns felt the need to discard their habits.i have always consider the habit as a wedding dress and as we all know nuns are the brides of Christ.for to long good priests and nuns voices have not been heard over these dissenters within our church let us pray that through sister Mary Rose and that of her fellow sisters that these nuns will returned back true teachings of the church and the magisterium thank God for our Pope Benedict a true vicar of Christ

Regarding habits vs. secular dress, I was given an historical document; an essay written by a sister who witnessed the changed from habits to secular dress and presented it to the General Assembly of the Sisters of Mercy at Burlingame, now known as the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas. It is highly enlightening, because it isn’t opinion or commentary as much as it is a part of history. It is part of a website I launched to help catechize the faithful on why women cannot be ordained. Please share.

God bless you Sr Rose. We have one of those “New Age” nuns at our parish as well as a liberal deacon who is comfortable with the ideas of women priests, abortion “rights”, homosexuality, etc. You have gladdened my heart to know that there are still faithful religious. The MSM would have us believe otherwise. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

These comments seem anti Christian. Why we can not respect different opinions. If you like nuns wearing habits, it is fine. If you don’t like it, it is also fine. There are good and bad points in wearing habits, so… If my opinion is different of yours it is because God created us all different but LOVE teach us to respect each other.

Br Christopher Sale
I could not agree with you more. Please see my post. I have begun to talk and display my religious Divine Mercy medal openly when I am able. Keep fighting the good fight. As a health care provider I am seeing a broken world and when any of us witness to Christ through action, dress and deed, the world is starving fir this. I will keep you in my prayers. We must stand strong just as the early Church martyrs did. Only in the next life will we know the extent we helped bring others to Christ. I think at the judgement Christ will recognize us to the Father because we sought to bring others to Him. Many blessings and prayers. Keep me in your prayers as well

There are some people who think we wear habits in order to look special.
I’m sure many in the religious life do this. And if they do they are wearing
it for the wrong reason. For over 4 years I have ministered to the
sick, homeless and poor while wearing my habit. Since I work
on the streets I have been called names such as pedophile, child
abuser, queer priest, fag, homo priest, F..n priest, F..n Catholic and a
host of other vulgar names. I’ve also had things thrown at me.
And in the mist of all this I’m terminally ill. In fact I nearly died in
2008, but by the grace of God my life has been spared. Although
I’m still terminally ill I know I put myself at risk to infections while working
on the streets with the homeless. I would be considered sadistic for subjecting
myself to these attacks all for the glory, prestige and noteriety and to look special.
2 months ago I quit my vocation because of these attacks. 2 days later I drove
through skid row and came across a dead homeless man. There was nothing for
me to do other then stand on the sidewalk a pray. It was then I realized that God
wanted me there at that moment. God wants us in habits because we are his disciples.
Never again will I quit being a brother based on opinions. It only matters what God
thinks of us. I love my life as a religious.
Let us pray for thoses who have contempt for our church and our religious.
Br. Christopher B.P.P.

Bravo to Sister Mary Rose for standing up for the Holy Father and the Magisterium of the Church! I’m glad that she ‘told off’ [in a charitable way, of course] the ‘bullies’ in the LCWR. I hope that more ‘ordinary Sisters’ will do the same!

Regarding the habit: yesterday when I went downstairs in my apartment building to get my mail, I ran into a couple of fellow tenants who lived on my floor. One of them asked me (because I was wearing a long skirt and modest t-shirt) if I was a nun. I replied, ‘No, but if I was one, I’d be wearing a habit and a veil.’ I should have added, ‘And I would not be living in an apartment, but in a convent with my fellow Sisters.’

This was not the first time, nor will it be the last, when someone asks me if I’m a nun. I once considered becoming a cloistered Carmelite, but it didn’t happen. I’ve been in two Third Orders in succession (the Franciscans, then the Discalced Carmelites), but they didn’t work out, either. So I’m ‘nothing’ right now….

But I digress. Once again, Sister, I say BRAVO to your courageous stand! May many more Sisters stand up to the LCWR ‘bullies’!

Thank you for your article. It seems many religious, men and women, forget about one of their vows–obedience. Obedience to God, obedience to the magisterium of the Roman Catholic Church. Those who refuse to follow the teachings of the Church should either repent or stop calling themselves Catholic.

I am an Indian, Lately I visited USA, my sisters are working in a Catholic Diocesan School at Dallas, Texas. One thing I noticed was everyone commented on the dress that our nuns were wearing in Dallas. They are in religious dress. Coming to the point, I congratulate Sr. Rose for her commitment and courageous voice spoken out in defense of the Pope,s intervention. Pope is in the place of Christ, he cannot just allow things to happen for some want to show themselves above Christ. What Christ has given to the church is perfectly in its place. a follower is cannot be above the master, but can be equal to the master. Let all women religious go back to their foundress dream and charism and live a community life and a committed consecrated life to serve the church and to the humanity in sincerity and faithfulness. we are with you Sr. Rose.

I am glad to see this post. I belonged to a lay affiliation and I walked that path until I saw how far from the magisterium things had departed. Especially the notion of women ordained as priest. Now I’m discerning another path. I will know in a few years but could not agree more with many posts here. One must follow the path of obedience and in the manner of dress, it sets a gold standard, just like the Blessed Mother. Michael Cumbie often speaks about priests wearing the cassock. It is time for us not to blend into the secular culture but remind the secular culture about the value of being set apart, living a life in Christ.

There is a lot of talk about the teaching authority of the Church ie. the Magisterium. It is important to note that these are men who, if they were functioning in American politics, would be called “party hacks”. They got their jobs because they probably went to school in Rome and ended up in the Vatican bureaucracy because of who they knew rather than any special talent or, God forbid, holiness. Many of them end up coming back to the States and getting a diocese in spite of the fact that they have little or no pastoral experience. I give these nuns a lot of credit for standing up to these clowns. It will indeed be interesting to see how much this gets censored (Oops I mean “moderated”.)

Thank you Domingo. I have been very outspoken on this subject here in the Los Angeles Archdiocese.
Its imperative that we are always visable and ready to assist those in need.
I hope you all can view this clip. If not go on Youtube and type in Angry Nuns.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXFj8Vu-R-c

Thank you, Sister Mary Rose Reddy! And thank you, Bro Christopher, for your posts as well. While it is true that only God sees what’s in our hearts, and therefore we cannot judge anyone, it is also true that a habit makes a religious person more approachable. Personally, between a bro/sis who wears a habit and another who doesn’t, I am more likely to talk to the one with the habit. I have friends who are priests and I encourage them to wear always their collar. Wearing a habit is witnessing for the Kingdom! It helps remind us that there is always something more than the mundane; that we are meant to know, love, and serve Our Father!

Thank you Elleblue for your support. I totally agree with you. I have been called every name in the book on the streets as I minister. I’ve even been threaten. I refuse to cave into the progressives in the church who are running a muck and embracing what they should have embraced before taking vows. And as I said before, children deserve to be taught by real nuns. Not women who dress like truck drivers.
God bless.

ALL consecrated religious need to be wearing a ‘visible sign’ of their consecration to God and the Church so yes it does matter if a habit is worn.

The Church calls for religious to be in idetifible garb. What is more important is the ‘attitude’ that goes along with “we don’t need to wear a habit, we’re the same as everyone else!” Well, you’r NOT THE SAME! You have a very specific vocation with vows and a responsibility to uphold Catholic teachings and the Magesterium. If you can’t keep your vows then perhaps this life is not for YOU?

Thank you Sr. Reedy for standing up to the ‘bullies’ because that’s what they are, nothing but bullies.

Thank you Sr. Rose. I am so glad you made that wise comment. Finally the truth is being spoken. I hope dissenting nuns read your article and convert. This is a big scandal for the Catholic Church. May God Bless you!

Paul you said,,,You can say you want to wear a habit to show you are a follower of Christ. I can see you want to wear a habit to distinguish yourself as being apart from the rest of, better than the rest, holier than the rest of us – putting yourself on a pedestal, and loving the adulation you receive there.
I’m sorry you feel the need to attack.It takes a lot of prayer for me to work up the courage to go out on the streets of L.A. with it on.Unless you know about my life and how I got to this place you might want to reconsider being judgmental. My habit has never been about me and never will be. I’m really sorry you feel negativity towards the religious life. I will certainly pray for you.

Paul,
Wearing my habit is not something I enjoy. Its very uncomfortable
in hot weather. However because of my habit I have been able to
reach out to people in need. My prime concern is the salvation of souls.
This is why God called me. It doesn’t make me hollier but it does serves
as a respresntive of Christ. When a person need to speak with a priest,
brother or sister they need to no where to find one. Trust me, I take a
risk being on the streets of Los Angeles wearing it. In fact many priest
have been concerned about my safety. Remember, Mother Teresa did not
let that deter her from working in the slums of Calcuta. Considering the life
I was leading I have been in a total shock why God would have called me.
However with God all things are possible. God put this habit on me. And I will not reject what God has called me to do. Besides this topic should be about nuns who are divorcing Christ with progressive nonsense.
Br. Christopher

My gratitude and thanks to Sr. Rose for speaking out. And for her defense of the Church and the magisterium, as well. Wearing the habit is a witness to Christ and a sign of humility. Many of us have had experiences with nuns in grammar and or high school that we did not enjoy. However, looking back I now believe that they did the best they could at the time. Today, I pray for them and thank them for the discipline, the education and for the moral fiber they tried to incorporate into my character. The nuns are a special army of Christ and I pray they will follow His teachings because many of the youth of today need their guidance . Sr., your letter is a blessing and a gift from God to all of us. Peace.
Mdaureen

In response to a couple of post!
Clara if you are suggesting that God is speaking through the liberal nuns I would suggest you compare what they are saying to what the Church officially teaches. If one believes that God is speaking to them then they have to do what St Paul did when the Risen Lord called him. He made sure to compare his Gospel with the Gospel of the Twelve Apostles. You see God’s will cannot contradict the Official teachings of the Church since Christ and the Church speak with one voice.

Br Christopher you are right the habit does not make the person. If I refuse to wear my wedding ring who knows I’m married. The wedding ring does not guarantee fidelity but it sure gives the message that I am spoken for.

I tip my hat off to this wonderfully brave sister in coming to the defense of the Holy Father. We need more like her. Perhaps then we would have an increase in vocations.

Just an additional comment. I once ask a priest why
he doesn’t wear his collar anymore. He said he doesn’t
want to be bothered with people. Unbelievable! In my first
year in ministry I wore a shirt and crucifix. I would go out
on the streets with rosaries, medals and holy cards to hand out.
Not one person would my gifts. I slowly became discouraged.
After praying to God and Our Lady for answers I realized I needed
a habit. My habit made all the difference. Here in Los Angeles we
are getting new orders who wear habits. So good ridden to these
run a muck nuns who have abandoned God and the church. And
so long to these priest who feel they only want to be priest on Sunday’s.
Br. Christopher B.P.P.

I agree a uniform doesn’t make the person. However in the religious life it makes a difference. However I can only say this about wearing a habit. Last summer very
distraught young man who was considering suicide approached me
in church while I was praying. Had I not had my habit on he would
have never talked to me. Last month a young man approached me
crying about his mother being a drug addict. Again without my habit
where was he to go? So I beg to differ with all this progressive liberal
Catholic nonsense. This is why priest and nuns must wear some
symbol that they re religious. To this day both of these men still come
to me when they need an open ear. When people need a priest or brother
they need to be able to find one. Hawaiian shirts are not going to work. Being a religious is not a part time job. I recently ask a nun if she misses wearing a habit. She said no because there are places she goes that she prefers not to look like a nun. Really! Are you kidding me. Is she ashame of being a servant of God. Sorry my friends but I’ll stick to tradition.

I think it’s lovely to see the nuns wearing the older habit. Or not. I got use to it.

But clothes do not maketh the man, or woman, in this instance.

All are called to follow and emulate Christ. None more than any other.

You can say you want to wear a habit to show you are a follower of Christ. I can see you want to wear a habit to distinguish yourself as being apart from the rest of, better than the rest, holier than the rest of us – putting yourself on a pedestal, and loving the adulation you receive there.

Rather than a sign of humility. The habit can be the badge of a little power tripping narcissist – who can’t really follow Jesus in being ‘completely hidden’.

Those religious who don’t wear a traditional habit can be seen to be hidden that way and more closely followers of Christ.

Paul makes it abundantly clear that all are equal in Christ.

The sooner we all realise that, take responsibility for it and grow up spiritually – the better for all of us, and maybe the wider society.

Sure let the nuns and male religious wear traditional habits. I’d just wonder what they might truly represent however. Humility is a state of mind, of heart, not fashion, traditional or not.

I am a woman in the military and yes I must wear my uniform to be part of the military. True the uniform doesn’t make the person but how a person wears the uniform speaks volumes as to their credibility and dedication. I am sorry but the habit represents the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. I do not say sister to any woman not wearing the habit, just as I would not recognize an officer out of uniform in the military. Nuns gave up the habit because many gave up poverty, chastity and obedience. Our Lord Himself said to St Faustina that obedience is the virtue He wants most because it reflects Humility. So does the habit reflect Humility. It is the proud that wear civilian clothes with makeup and jewelry. Sorry, not nuns to me

I am so happy you wrote, Sister Mary Rose. I have been concerned about the recent revelation by the Sisters’ who in my opinion have been acting/speaking outside of what I thought acceptable behavior for a Servant of God as a Sister/Nun.
Thank you so much I believe(maybe it’s really hoping)that you are speaking for the majority who have been afraid to speak.

Thank you Sister Mary Rose for speaking out so respectfully and courageously. I know you have spoken for so many of your sisters in the consecrated life. Don’t worry. Remember what Jesus said to Martha at Bethany that Mary’s better part will not be taken from her and that is Jesus’ guarantee for all His faithful consecrated brides. You have my prayers and deep respect and appreciation for answering the call of your Divine Bridegroom to religious life in humble obedience to Him in His Church.

Thank you, Sr. Mary Rose for this enlightening article. I have the honor of living in the same ‘town’ as this wonderful religious order. They are truly beautiful Brides of Christ.

In response to Bill: I am sad that you had a negative experience with ‘Nuns who wore habits”. Please pray for her/them, as they need your love, forgiveness and prayers. Remember, they are human beings, not divine entities. Perhaps “Mean Sr. Cross” (pardon the euphemism) did not have a supportive community to help her with her vocational issues? I think what Br. Christopher meant to say was that any young woman with a vocation, who desires to wear the habit, desires to “wear her wedding dress” to signify her betrothal to her bridegroom, Jesus Christ. It further solidifies her union to Him.

Lastly, I have heard with my own ears from these beautiful Sisters DMML, that when they have attended convocational gatherings, and of course wearing their daily habits, with other religious who did not wear habits, the were openly mocked…circled about and looked up and down from head to toe by other ‘nuns’, as if they were wearing clown suits! They were publicly chastised, and were audibly made fun of with comments such as “so, they let you come out today?” insinuating that they were slaves of tyrant?! I was, and still am flabbergasted that someone who claims to be a Religious – a Roman Catholic – a Christian, would ever have the audacity to make such a comment as catty and condescending as that to another human being, let alone their Sister in Christ?

God bless our religious, who give themselves humbly in service to us; who nurture us as Our Blessed Mother would do in the flesh; and who sustain our faith and morals. We love you!

In adoration one day, I was meditating on the piece of scripture, “if you love me you will obey my commands”. In trying to understand what that meant. I was given the following thought: if we do not love Jesus, we cannot obey Him. Do you see what this means? When we love anyone, we ***want(desire)*** to do what they ask of us. It comes naturally to do this. Religious are consecrated to God in different ways. We must love with a tender heart, and defend the truth in charity. Part of defending the truth in charity is dressing the part.

Well done Sister Mary Rose! How the liberal gang of religious have been able to supress the real ” mission” of consecrated women for so long has been most sad for our Church. Should I assume that the same press that has flooded the media with the message of ‘prosecution’ of the LCWR by …”those out of touch old men of Rome…” will now give equal coverage to Sister Rose and her message of faithful orthodoxy? I didn’t think so. Dan Malone

I spent one year not wearing my habit. It was a waste of time. We are representives of Christ and its imperative to dress the part. We need to be visable for people who are looking for a priest, brother or sister. The principal at my parish comes to school with tank tops and shorts. This is not acceptable and I refuse to call her Sister. Sorry but I’m old school. I’m not saying nuns should wear full habits. But a veil would be nice.

If I’m ultra right wing for standing with Jesus Christ and the magisterium of the Catholic Church, then so be it. Brother Christopher, I agree with your comments. I was taught by nuns that wore habits. (I never knew you could be a nun without the habit. Like I said earlier, I wasn’t in the church from the 1970’s till 2010.) It was so weird to see sisters wearing earrings and makeup. Like Mother Angelica used to say – if you’re a religious, you need to be a witness.

Whether a nun wears a habit is absolutely irrelevant. What is important, is the person who is a nun. One of the meanest persons I have ever met in my entire life was a nun I had in the 6th and 7th grades and she wore a habit. The other 6 nuns I had in grade school were wonderful women. Finally, if a young girl becomes a nun because she likes the habit, she probably has a very weak vocation

Nuns without the traditional habit has attributed
to the decline of vocations. When a young girl
sees a nun wearing something that signifies she’s
a nun, that’s one of the incentives to becoming a nun.
If I had children I would only send them to a school
where nuns look like nuns. As a brother I wear my habit
as much as I possibly can. Padre Pio said people need to
talk. However if they can’t find us who do they go to?
When I don’t wear it I’m not approachable.
Br. Christopher B.P.P.

Thank you, Sister. I’m glad to see there are still many good faithful nuns. I’m reading a book called “Ungodly Rage” about feminist nuns in the 1970’s and 1980’s – all the weird stuff they did in their conferences. This really angers me that nothing was done about it back then. In a way I’m glad I was a cafeteria Catholic back then, otherwise I might have left the church for good. Thank God, Pope Benedict is cleaning up the mess. I pray for all the reconversion of all “unfaithful” religious and clery.